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Stan's State Fan Forum

This is the place for devoted Stan Walker fans to share their love, debate and engage in the career of this exceptional young artist.

We chat to Aussie ARIA nominee Stan Walker about his experience as a contestant in a competitive TV singing environment and ask him to give some advice to The X Factor Final Six...

So, Stan, last year you were in a similar position to our X Factor finalists. What advice do you have for them on handling the pressure?

They shouldn’t get too caught up in what’s happening at the moment on the show but they need to have a vision of what they’re going to do. It [The X Factor] is only a moment and then it ends. You’re not guaranteed anything, there’s only going to be one winner. They need to focus on what they’re going to do after the show and get ready for it.

The competition is always fierce in the music industry. What can The X Factor Final Six do to stand out from the crowd while still staying true to themselves?

Never compromise. If you compromise once, it opens the gates for everything to go wrong. Just stay true to who you are and what you do. Don’t try and be the next Usher, there’s already an Usher.

Did you know what sort of artist you wanted to be from the start or has that evolved over time?

I knew what I wanted to do. It was just about making it happen and becoming that artist.

What advice can you give our contestants for building a career after the show?

Prepare yourself now. Now is the perfect preparation for who you want to be and what you want to do. For me the whole thing was just a blessing.

How important is listening to the judges in a competition like The X Factor?

In my experience, I took everything they said and used it to my advantage. When people take comments to heart it gets them down. Good stuff gets to your head and bad stuff brings you down. So I just focused on what I was trying to do. I used what was constructive.

What were the advantages of showcasing your skill each week on TV before launching your debut album?

You familiarise yourself with people and they become familiar with who you are so they know what they’re going to get out of you. At the same time they’re in for a surprise because you become an artist after you’ve been on TV.

The X Factor judges talk a lot about connecting with the audience. How do you connect with your audience?

You need to make sure every person is as important as the other. Also, on The X Factor there’s the audience in the studio and the audience watching at home. When you’re on TV you need to think about all the people that you’re singing to. Give it like you’re giving your last show.

How important is connecting with your lyrics?

In my TV experience we were given songs and people would ask, “What does this song mean to you?” And I’d think, “It was given to me”. But the thing is you’ve got to get into that character for people to believe that. To become an artist people have got to believe that you are the artist rather than just a karaoke singer or another person that just sings. There’s a difference between singers and artists. Anybody can sing but to become as an artist you’re a leader, you’re creating something different.

Your new single, “Choose You”, which you performed on Monday night’s show is doing well in the charts. What’s the secret to having a successful single?

The sound has to be relevant for today. For me it’s all about what I’m saying in my songs. I have to best represent myself and I want to bring hope back into music. Not just meaningless lyrics that talk about sex and, “Get on the floor, Shorty” and all that stuff. Do you know how downgrading that is? I want the songs that I sing to be songs I’d let my little brother and sister sing.

Finally, what does the future hold for you as an artist?

I want to be able to bring hope back to situations. My Aunty and Uncle split up and my Aunty was listening to “Choose You” – the song explains love in a real way. Love takes work, loves takes time. Even when you get angry and mad you still stay. After listening to that song they’re back together now. I want to make a change and make a difference. There are a lot of people who say, “You should do this” they want me to be more sexy or gangster – whatever. That lasts for a moment and then it’s gone. You look at Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder – they’ve lasted, they’re timeless. When did they ever sing, “Get on the floor?” They didn’t. They didn’t have to downgrade girls or pretend they’re something they’re not because that stuff goes, man. It’s about longevity, not the moment.

Thanks for posting that interview Renee - great that his song "Choose You" has been a blessing within his own whanau. It's so great to see a young person full of integrity challenging the popular culture and being willing to swim against the tide and resist being pushed into a mold he doesn't want to be pushed in to. Great that we can trust that he won't sing songs that we wouldn't want our kids listening to. Kia Kaha Stan! Ka Pai!